Exhaust-tube remover



Apri1z4, 192s.

. L. A. MAURER EXHAUST 'IIUBE REMO'VER Filed Feb ."14, 1925 ta t hm.. m

. nA s AMANA@ an@ w Patented pr. 24, 1928.

1,667,601 PATENT OFFICE.

LoUIs A. MAURER, or' Invmc'ron, NEWJnnsEx, AssreNon 'ro GENERAL ELncrnIc COMPANY, A CORPORATION on NEW Yonx.

EXHAUST-TUBE BEMOVER.

Application led February 14, 1923. Serial No. 619,028.

My invention relates to automatically removing small articles such as short pieces of glass tubing from elastic holders, and more particularly to means for automatically rel 6 moving short pieces of exhaust tubing from exhaust machines used in making incandescent lamps and similar articles.

One object of my invention to provide a simple means for automatically discharging articles from elastic holders in which the articles are temporarily mounted. Another object is to provide a simple and rugged device for automatically removing the waste ends of exhaust tublng from the tubular l5 rubber sleeves or connectors used to connect the lamps tothe pumps of the automatic exhaust machines commonly used in the manufacture of incandescent lamps and similar articles. A

My invention will be best understood in connection with the accompanying drawings in which merely for purposes of illustration, I have shown some of the forms in which it may be embodied and in which Figure 1 is a 2.5 transverse vertical section of an exhaust machine suitahle for exhausting incandescent lamps and embodying one form of my invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1; Figures 3, 4 and 5 are so views showing the successive ste s of ejecting the stub end of the exhaust tu e from the machine in accordance with my invention; Figure 6 is a sectional view along the line 6,

6 of Figure 2; and Figures 7, 8 and 9 areviews in elevation showing the successive steps of removing a stub end of an exhaust tube from a ,slightly different type of head or holder than that illustrated in the other v figures of the drawing.

o my lnvention as applied to an automatic exhaust machine of the general type disclosed in United vStates -Patent 996,936, Massey, July .4, 1911. This machine comprises, as

5 best shown in Fig. 1, a table 10 supportlng a at stationary valve seat 11, on which is.

mounted a rotary Ovalve 12 provided Awith tubular exhaust heads 13, each containing a soft rubber holder 14'` usually a section of 50 thick walled rubber tubing. The exhaust heads are connected through nipples or pipes 15 to ports in the valve 12 which register with corresponding ports in the valve seat 11 as the valve rotates. The. exhaust tube 16 of a lamp 17 fits snugly in the rubber holder `For purposes 'of illustration I have shown' 14, and as the valve 12 rotates each lamp 'is automatically carried from the loading position A through the exhaust positions B and C and connected in succession to the various exhaust pumps until finally lat lthe sealing oft' position D the exhausted lamp is sealed off, leaving the Vstub end of the exhaust tube 16 in the holder 14.

In accordance with my invention the stub end of the exhaust tube 16 is automatically removed from the holder 14 v by tilting it about its lower end until the lower end is released by the holder. The elastic holder 14 will stretch or distort enough to permit this tilting of the exhaust tube until, at an angle of from `to 45 with the axis of the holder, the lower' end of the eXhaust tube is released from the holder.l The tubular heads 13 support the holders 14 and I prefer to provide them with an inwardly projecting flange 18 to keep the rubber holders in place, and also prefer to cut awayvpart of the upf per end of the head,'as at 19, to `facilitate the tilting or sidewis'e movement of the exhaust tube and its discharge from the holder.

The tilting of the exhaust tube necessary to discharge it from the elastic holder 14 may be brought about inY various ways, but I prefer to use an ejector 20 so mounted that upon relative movement of the exhaust head 13 and the ejector it will engage the upper or -free end of the exhaust tube and push it sidewise. I@ prefer to obtain this relative movement by lmounting a stationar ejector 20 adj acent the path of the exhaust eads 13, so that as each head in succession asses under the ejector 20, the free end of t e exhaust tube is caught by the ejector and the tube tilts until it is swept out of the holder. The action is' best shown in Fi s. 3,4 and 5 showing t-he successive stages o the tilting and-removal ofthe exhaust tube. In Fig. 3 the free end is just coming intov contact with the ejector 20; in Fig. 4 the exhaust head has moved a suilicient distance to tilt the tube 100 until its lower end is just on the point of be exhaust tube is tilted to one side until its lower end is released from the holder.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to an automatic exhaust machine for incandescent lamps for which purpose it is particularly adapted, but it is not restricted to such uses as it is capable of being used for automatically removing articles of many kinds from elastic holders.

Various changes and modilications may also be made without departing from my invention, and therefore I do not Wish to be restricted to the particular form shown.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a holder having a recess with elastic walls for gripping an article, an ejector mounted adjacent said holder,v and means for producing relative movement between said holder and said ejector to cause said holder to pass adjacent said ejector and to brin said ejector into contact with an `article 1n said holder, and thereb distort said elastic walls suiiciently to re ease the article.

2. In a machine of the character described the combination of a tubular holder of elastic rubber having a bore suitable for holding a cylindrical article therein, an ejector, and

means for causing relative movement of said ejector and said holder in a direction trans#- with it, an ejector, and means for producing relative movement of said holder and said ejector to bring said ejector and the article in said holder into Contact and thereby move the free end of said article suliciently out of alignment with said holder to distort a portion of it and thereby release said article. 4. In an automatic exhaust machine the combination of a rotatable valve having exhaust heads comprising tubular holders of elastic rubber, each having a bore suitable for holding an exhaust tube, and a stationary ejector mounted to project into the path of movement of exhaust tubes in said holders and thereby cause said exhaust tube in each holder to tilt and thereby distort the bore of said holder until said tube is swept out of said holder as each head moves past said ejector.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of February, 1923.

- Louis A. MAURER. 

